When I think of “Transformers,” I associate the franchise with cringey, Micheal Bay-directed movies with not enough plot and too many explosions. Never did I think a “Transformers” movie would not only exceed my expectations but be one of the most beautifully animated films I have seen this year.
“Transformers: One,” directed by Josh Cooley, perfectly shows the origins of iconic Transformers, like Optimus Prime and Megatron, while including nods to older media for long-time fans. The film’s stellar voice actors — especially standouts Brian Tyree Henry and Chris Hemsworth, who headline the cast — and gorgeous animation made the film engaging and immersive, even if its plot felt somewhat predictable.
The film follows the bromance between Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry), as they work to mine energon to keep their city, “Iacon,” alive. Unlike the rule-following D-16, Pax wants to help his hero, Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm), by finding the Matrix of Leadership which will bring unlimited energon back to the planet, Cybertron. Through an accidental chain of events, the two are dragged along a journey of epic proportions to find the Matrix, while recruiting the talkative B-127 (Keegan-Micheal Key) and stubborn Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson).
“Transformers: One” is a cautionary tale about the consequences of being power-hungry. Although the villain of the film is predictable, it still manages to be a somewhat refreshing take on an overused story because of Megatron’s descent into villainy. The foil between the moralities of Megatron and Optimus plays with the idea of “good vs evil” and gives Megatron a relatable motive.
By playing with this duality, it allows for all its characters, except Bumblebee who doesn’t have much action, to grow into the iconic characters audiences know today. Even then, although the movie isn’t voice-acted by the original cast, they still bring something fresh to tired characters.
Henry, in particular, phenomenally portrays an uptight D-16 who eventually evolves into a vengeful and cruel Megatron. He does an excellent job of voicing a range of emotions while being able to show it only through the film’s animation.
Hemsworth’s voice acting was also extremely captivating — indeed, one most likely didn’t realize he was the voice for Orion Pax unless they had seen the trailers. Although he is not the original Optimus voice actor, Peter Cullen, he continues his legacy by portraying a confident and hopeful Optimus who inspires film-goers as they leave the theater.
The animation is beautifully done, using a more modern CG-animated style. While for some it may be no competition compared to other animated films like “Into the Spider-Verse,” the film’s settings and backgrounds immerses the audience and makes them wish they also could explore the planet, “Cybertron.” The film’s transition from using vibrant colors reminiscent of the 80s to the dark hues when D-16 loses his humanity at the end shows just how vital the animators are to telling a story behind the scenes.
Although the plot of “Transformers: One” leans towards being predictable, the film is nevertheless a treat for new and old fans. If you are as cautious to watch this film as I was, don’t be. With this film, there is more than what meets the eye.
